See if You're Human after All
by Potter47
Summary: There is another Christmas Ball planned at Hogwarts School. Young witches are giggling, wizards are groaning, and people are pairing. But Hermione Granger is not happy. She no longer wants to go with a certain redhead. Who is there to take his place?
1. What's in a Name?

See if You're Human after All  


_Potter47_

**~ Chapter One ~  
What's in a Name? **

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.

"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"  


__

Not as a last resort!

Last...

"Bloody hell."

Yup, I said that. Me, Hermione Granger, actually _swore._

And there's Ron, mouthing soundlessly like a goldfish out of water, once again. 

Why, you ask? What possibly could make _me,_ of all people, utter a _swear_?

Three words.

The Yule Ball.

Well that, and _my big mouth._

"What was that, Hermione?" asked Ron from across the table.

"Nothing," I said quickly. The boy is stupid sometimes, but I didn't think he'd buy that.

He didn't. He kept a knowing look on his face for the remainder of dinner. And what a torture it was.

For Dumbledore, mad-man that he is, decided that enough people had signed on to stay over the holiday, so they were going to have another ball. Technically, it wasn't called _The Yule Ball,_ since that was only held with the Triwizard Tournament, but it was a _Christmas _ball, all the same.

And I _really _wish I had kept my mouth _shut_, two years ago.

__

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

At the time, that had been what I had wanted. Ron to ask me. But now I don't. Hell(sorry), even last year I had fancied him. But then something just..._stopped._ I felt different. And I think he finally caught on that I _had _fancied him, and that _he _fancies _me_.

Confusing, eh?

Well, since I _don't _fancy him anymore, I do _not _want to go to the ball with him.

And he's likely to ask me.

Soon, if he listened to my advice.

So here I am. In the library. Again. 

There is no book in here that can help me now. No books written by teenage witches, advising girls about fancying a boy, and then _not _fancying a boy, but _he _fancies _you..._ No. No books on that. I looked.

Maybe I should write one? Better wait to see how it ends.

* * *  


Okay, it's been a day since the ball was announced. He hasn't asked yet. 

Maybe he just forgot about that whole thing?

I doubt it. No, he's just waiting. Bidding his time, I'd say. But he will. 

Listen to me! I sound as though he's a Dark Lord, about to return! I am overreacting. Yes, overreacting. I could just say _no_, right?

Yeah, Hypocritical Hermione. That's what they'll call you.

Urgh. Who's _they_? No, _not _the time to be questioning the logic of my own thoughts. I need to find someone. Yeah, someone to ask me first. Then I could just stand behind what I said before, and maybe by the next ball he'd get over me.

Yeah...but _who?_

__

Harry?

No, he's like a brother to me. That would be just..._odd. _And talk about hypocritical? Remember fourth year, Hermione?

And he'd never want to go with me. Even now, he's spluttering over himself as Ginny sits down next to him at breakfast. He's been crazy about her all year. I can tell. I can _always_ tell.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny says as she begins to butter a slice of toast. Well, why not set aside my own troubles for a minute to help out a couple of friends?

"Hey, Gin," I say, a thoughtful look in my eye. "Any idea who you're going with to the ball?" I ask, innocently.

Harry spits out his pumpkin juice over himself. It's pretty hard to keep a straight face as he momentarily forgets he's a wizard and try's to clean it up the muggle way.

"Er, Harry..." says Ginny. "Let me help you."

She takes out her wand and says, "_Scourgify!" _His robes are as good as new. 

"Er, _thanks_, Ginny," Harry says blushingly.

If she can't _tell_...

"Any time."

"Well?" I ask, bringing Ginny's attention back to my question.

She glances at Harry before answering. "Well, I was thinking about asking Malfoy..."

"_What_?" Harry nearly screams. Ron walks up to the table and sits next to me, across from Harry. 

"What I miss?" he asks.

"Oh, nothing," I say, "Ginny's just telling us how she wants to ask Malfoy to the ball." Like Malfoy would go with a Weasley.

"_What_?" he says, looking at Harry oddly, as if to say, '_What about you?'_

Wow, I didn't think Harry'd told _Ron _that he wanted to go with his sister. Well, there was always the chance that he'd figured it out by himself... Nah. Harry had to of told him.

"I'm just _joking, _you two. You both know that _Hermione_ is the one who fancies that slimeball." I what?

Ron's head snaps to me. "_What_?" he says once again.

"Er..." I what?

"You'll believe _anything_, Ron," Ginny says. "Why don't you just go ask Luna, and be done with it?"

His head snaps back. "_What_?" 

"Develop a vocabulary, big brother. It was a joke," she says. I can't help think that they _would _make a good couple. Ron and Luna. Luna and Ron. Luna Weasley. Ron Lovegood. I laugh out loud. Couldn't help it.

"Hello, Ronald." My head turns around just in time to see Luna Lovegood drift by the table, on her way to the door. 

And their kids, they would have red hair...and _huge _eyes, and would be obsessed with the letter _Q._ Quidditch. Quibbler. Quaffle. 

"Cwumple Howrned Snowkak!" I could picture the little guys calling... "It's twoo! It's twoo!"

"Isn't it kind of funny," I say, "that Luna _only _says hello to _Ron_ when she drifts by?"

"Yeah," Harry says, speaking for the first time in a while, since the joke was not to do with him or Ginny, "I wonder why?"

Ron has his usual puzzled look on his face. "What are you on about?" he says.

"Oh, it's _obvious,_ Ron. There's no reason we should need to tell you..."

* * *  


Well, that's over. Back to the vexing problem I have on my hands.

__

Dean or Seamus?

No. Taken. No chance Lavender or Parvati would give them up.

__

Neville?

Hmm. He did want to go with me last time. And, he's not going with anyone...

But no... I don't like him _that way._ He's a friend. And hell, he _might _be going with someone. I just assumed he wasn't. Bad Hermione! You know what they say about people who assume...

Yes I do. Doubt anyone _else _here does, but _I _do. I've read the Lecter books seventeen times. And another one is supposed to be coming in a few years... I'll need to get that.

__

You'll make an ass_ of _u_ and _me _both._

Sounds like something Malfoy would say.

Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy.

No..._No!_ I...I _couldn't!_

Talk about the opposite of Ron.

* * *  


"Hermione, wait up!"

Damn. It's him. Ron.

Empty corridor.

Yup, he's gonna ask.

"Hermione," he says, catching up with me, "I was wondering..."

Here it comes. What am I gonna do?

"Er... You know fourth year?" he asks. "Oh, of course you know fourth year, I mean, do you remember...you remember everything, I know, but..." His ears are red. No!

"After the Yule Ball, you said, "_Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!_'" Wow, a direct quote! But...I do _not _sound like that!

"If it isn't Weasel and the Mu- and Granger."

__

Thank Merlin for Malfoy! 

What did I just think?!

Did he just call me Granger?

Ron just stiffened. I'm already ready to hold him back. No doubt I'll need to.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

Malfoy took on a mock-pleasant manner.

"Oh, that Lovegood girl. The blond one with the funny eyes? She's been looking all _over_ for you. Can't imagine why."

I can't help but snort at that.

"Hey, Granger thinks I'm funny! My life is complete! You may kill me now."

"I just might." Ron takes a step forward, and I take a handful of the back of his robes.

I can't help but thinking how..._nice_ Malfoy looks when he's not threatening, or acting venomous. 

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"You know, something? We've known each other for _six years. _You'd think we'd be on a first name basis by now, don't you Ronald?"

"Well, _Draco, _at least my first name _is _a name. Not a magical creature," Ron says through gritted teeth.

"Or," says Malfoy looking straight at me, "a character in a play."

My eyes widen, and I'm sure I must look like Luna.

"You're _kidding,_" I say. "Does your father know you read Muggle plays?"

"What?" says Ron, turning around to look at me. "Your name's from a play?"

"No, he does not," says Malfoy. "But he _is _in Azkaban, and what he doesn't know can't hurt him. Or me."

"Your name's from a play?" Ron repeats.

"Yes," I say, recalling it from memory. "The Winter's Tale, by Shakespeare. _Hermione_'s daughter Perdita, falls in love with the prince of Bohemia, Florizel. The marriage is disapproved of, and they have to flee for protection. She's reunited with Hermione, and her father, Leontes, who had thought her dead. The play...it takes a potentially tragic situation and uses it to stress rebuilding rather than destruction. The characters become wiser from their sadness, happily face the future."

"Oh," says Ron. "You could of just said 'yes,'" he mumbles, but I'm not really paying attention.

"You, a _Malfoy _of all people, read _Shakespeare_?" I ask disbelievingly.

"So what if I did?" he says. "Is there a law against wizards reading Shakespeare? Only Muggles and Muggle-borns, eh?"

"Muggle-borns?" I ask.

"Mud-bloods," he hurriedly corrects. It seems as though he's scolding himself.

"That wasn't my favourite anyway," I say. What the devil has possessed me? Why am I making conversation with Malfoy?

Maybe...just _maybe..._he's human after all.

"Oh?" he says. "And what is?" He actually seems to _care. _What _happened _to him?

"Romeo and Juliet."

His eyes seem to widen. Just slightly.

"Mine, too." I don't know if he actually said it, he might have just mouthed the word to himself.

Maybe...maybe he always was human. Maybe I'm just blind.

"Well," Ron says uncomfortably. "I'll meet you in the common room, Hermione. This is just _too weird _for my small brain to comprehend."

And he leaves. Just walks away.

I stare into Malfoy's eyes. Grey, cold, unfriendly...

Scared.

"Well," he says, "seems we have something in common."

"Seems that way."

Does he ever blink? He just...stares. I don't think I'm breathing.

"What's wrong with you today?" I ask, desperately hoping that it's not just an act. A way of making fun of me. But it seems so _real_... "You call me a Muggle-born, you read Shakespeare... Not your usual attitude at all."

"No, not my usual attitude. Let's just say my outlook on life, it's a bit different today." He blinks. His eyes seem a little less cold. More alive. 

"What happened?" I ask.

I see him swallow. "Why the hell should I do what he said? Why the hell should I follow in his footsteps? What good would it do?"

"What happened?" I ask again.

"I got a letter." He raises a hand, a letter clutched in his fist. "Read it."

He holds it out.

Why? I ask silently. Why should I read it? It could be cursed. Could be a portkey. Could take me to Voldemort. Why should I trust him? Why am I walking closer?

For I am. My legs are slowly moving, one after the other, toward the boy that had made me and my friends lives as miserable as possible. The boy that tried to get Hagrid sacked. The boy who helped Umbridge catch us last year. But I can't stop walking. I want to read the letter. I reach him. 

The letter reads,

__

You have been chosen to serve the Dark Lord. Your father, as you know, is not currently available. He had suggested your recruitment numerous times, and the Dark Lord now thinks it a good time to act on the suggestion. Respond soon, or expect some...unpleasant news.

My eyes widened. Malfoy...Dark Lord...why am I not screaming in pain right now?

I look up. "Well, congrats. Just what you always wanted..."

I hand the letter back to him. "You really think that?" He leans back against the corridor wall, and closes his eyes.

"Well, yeah. You always gave off that sort of aura. That you wanted to be just like your father..."

"I got that two days ago," he says.

"Yeah?" I ask, not comprehending.

"I didn't respond. I was thinking it over. This morning Snape tells me my mother was killed."

"What? But, I thought your mother was loyal to Voldemort!"

"She was."

"Then why...why kill her?" I ask him.

"Because they assumed my lack of response was a no. They killed the only person that I cared the slightest about, because I didn't do as they said." A single tear falls down his cheek, and he hastily wipes it away.

"I was on my way to Dumbledore. Fool that he is, he's against the Dark Lord. You know what they say, 'My enemy's enemy is my friend.'"

Wow. Never thought that would happen. Draco Malfoy opposing Voldemort. _No one_ thought that would happen.

"Won't your father be angry with the Death Eaters? They killed his wife..."

Draco, as I just started to think of the blond boy in front of me, began to laugh. "Like he cares. He'll marry someone else. Probably as soon as he's out of Azkaban. If the bastard ever gets out, which I severely hope he doesn't."

I wince at the language. If it was Ron, I would have reprimanded him, but as it's Draco...

Draco. Draco Malfoy. I feel the strange urge to...to _comfort_ him. Who would of thought?

"Dumbledore's not a fool," I say. "He can help you. Trust me."

"You know what, Granger?" he asks. "I actually think I will."

**_

~ Author's Note ~

_**

Hang on readers! Don't touch that little purple button _yet!_ First, read this _tantalising_ bit of an Author's Note. 

Well, I know this started out as a humour fic, and it sort of turned Sirius. I mean _serious. Sirius _is dead. You knew that, right?

Don't worry, if you like the humour, cause it _will _be funny again. Don't worry, if you like the drama, that's _not _done yet.

Yeah, well, R&R, please. Wait, you've already _read _so there's no need to R&R. Just &R.

(Now you can click it.)


	2. Running into Malfoy

See if You're Human after All  


_Potter47 **~ Chapter Two ~  
Running into Malfoy **_

We walked to Dumbledore's office then. He had never been there before, so I had to show him the way. He had been wandering around, trying to find someone, until he ran into me.

Everything changed that day. _Everything._ Not a single thing in my life continued as it had before that day.

I fancied Draco Malfoy.

There! I said it! Well, at least I thought it...

Dumbledore seemed quite surprised when the two of us arrived at his office together. As though he actually hadn't expected it. I always thought he expected everything.

He - Draco I mean - he looked Dumbledore straight in the eye, and handed the Headmaster the letter. As Dumbledore read it, it seemed as though something clicked inside his head. Something made sense. 

"I take it this is why your mother was killed," he said.

"Yes."

"It certainly explains a lot." He looked shrewdly at the two of us. "Miss Granger? What brings you here?"

"I just...came with him," I said.

Dumbledore showed the slightest hint of a smile, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Why show this to me, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well," said Draco, "I wanted to know if I could...help. In the fight against the Dark Lord."

"Really?" Dumbledore's penetrating gaze seemed to look through Draco. "You want to help?"

"Anything I can do."

Dumbledore just _looked _at him for what seemed like hours. I was wondering if he expected me to leave.

"All right, then," he finally spoke. "I'll let you know if there is anything you can do."

Draco turned around and I began to follow him, but Dumbledore said, "Miss Granger, a word?"

I stopped and turned back, looking questioningly at the Headmaster. Draco continued his way out of the office.

"Yes?" I asked.

As soon as the wall at the bottom of the stairs closed, Dumbledore smiled. "Well," he said, "you certainly seem to be getting along better with Mr. Malfoy. When did this happen?"

I was sure I was blushing. "Well, about ten minutes ago, in the corridor..."

And I told him about the encounter.

"Shakespeare?" he said. "I never would have thought..."

"Me neither. The odd thing is...he just is so..._nice..._to be around, when he's not being a prat," I told him.

"Yes, well he chose to be like that. And he chose to come to our side. And he _chose _to be nice to you," he said. "As I told Harry, at the end of his second year, it is our _choices _that show who we truly are. It seems Draco may have finally made his choice."

* * *

As I said before, that day changed my entire life. I not only didn't fancy Ron any longer, but I fancied _Malfoy_. Yeah, bit of a difference.

And I still had the little problem of Ron fancying _me._

__

Maybe, I thought, _maybe he _wouldn't_?_

No such luck, as he still was trying to get me alone. Still trying to ask. I had, once again, taken refuge in the library.

I should have thought of a less obvious place. As I was browsing the Charms section, just looking for something to distract me, I heard him. He asked Madam Pince if she had seen me, and she told him that I was in Charms.

Damn.

So, I hurriedly put the book I was holding back in its proper place, and ran out the back of the aisle. I passed no one as I swiftly exited the library. He had just reached the Charms section, when Madam Pince tried to get his attention silently.

I did not stick around any longer.

I ran - as fast as was allowed in the corridors - toward Gryffindor Tower. I was intent on hiding out in my dormitory - the one place I was sure he couldn't find me.

I made it two floors, before I ran into _him._

Literally.

Yeah, _him._

"Granger!" he said. "What're you running from?" He looked over my shoulder, as if expecting to see a throng of Death Eaters on my tail.

"Nothing," I said.

He seemed to notice that he had caught me in his arms, and, much to my chagrin, hurriedly let go. A slight blush rose in his cheeks. He looked nice with a bit of colour.

"I was...er...wondering," he said awkwardly. "You know if Weasley's going to the ball with anyone?"

"_Ron?_" I asked, appalled.

"NO!" he practically screamed. "I meant his sister! I thought it would be a nice way to go against my father, and the Death Eaters. You know, go with a Gryffindor..."

He still seemed to be blushing. "Er..." I said. "I think she's going with someone. But there are other Gryffindors you could go with," I hurriedly added, not believing the luck that he would want to go with a Gryffindor.

"Who?" he asked. "Patil's going with Thomas. Brown's going with Finnigan. Bell's going with Weasley's brother. Your going with Weasley-"

"I'm _what?_" I ask.

"Your going with Weasley," he repeated. "You are, aren't you?"

"No!" I said quickly. "What gave you that idea?"

Stupid question.

"Your joking right? It's obvious he fancies you. I thought you fancied him too. It really has seemed obvious..."

"No, I don't fancy Ron." _I fancy you_, I thought.

"Really?" he asked, bewildered. "News to me. And just about the entire castle. Hell, I bet even people _outside _the castle thought that..."

"I get it. No, if he fancies me, it's definitely one-sided."

"_If? IF?_ You've got to be kidding me! Remember the _slugs_? Of _course _he fancies you. He has for years." I couldn't believe that I was having this conversation with _him._

He seemed to be thinking of something. I later would discover that it was something along the lines of _Hmm...A Mudblood would be even better than a Weasley..._.

"You want go with me, then?" he asked. "I mean, if you're _sure _that it's one-sided." He smirked.

"Sure." _Ahhhhhhhh!!!! He asked me!!!! _I was screaming to myself. Yeah, other girls probably would actually be doing so _out _of their head, but I'm _me_, remember?

"Good." 

Yeah, he changed quite a bit. Normally, he probably would have just said _You're going to the ball with me!_ And that would be it. I liked the new him. A lot.

* * *

As I walked into the common room that evening, I swear I was glowing. You don't believe me? Ask any one of the other Gryffindors there; they were all staring.

I swaggered (yes, _swaggered_) to where Harry and Ginny were sitting, and I noticed that Harry seemed not to have asked her yet. He was, or at least was _trying to_, work on his History of Magic homework. I say _trying to_, because I doubt that the solution to the _any_ question that Professor Binns would ask can be found within Ginny's hair. 

I decided, as I was in such a good mood, that I ought to try to help him once again. You don't think I tried to help him before? Ha! Of _course _I helped him...

Didn't I?

Well...I did now! At least, I was _going_ to...

"Hello, Harry," I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Have you seen Alice in Wonderland? I just saw it last summer, and I cannot _believe _how much Alice reminded me of Luna. Hmm... Ron and Alice... "Ginny."

"Hey, Hermione," said Harry, dragging his gaze from Ginny's mane.

"What are you so happy about?" asked Ginny, smiling slightly. "Big brother get up the nerve to ask you?"

"_No_!" I said hurriedly. "Why would Ron ask me? Ask me where?"

"The ball, of course!" she said. "It's obvious he's gonna ask you. Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"Well," I said, "if he was going to ask, he should have done it already." Thank Merlin he I didn't give him the chance. "I happen to already have a date."

"Good!"

I spun around, and, to the shock of every single living (and non-living) soul in Gryffindor Tower, the speaker was...

Ron.

"What!?" Harry and Ginny exclaimed simultaneously. They looked at each other, and hurriedly away again. I could tell they hadn't expected to be in sync with each other.

"I said, _good_," Ron said. He looked to be out of breath, which would be logical, as he had been trying to find me. But..._what?_ I thought. I was so sure...

"What d'you mean?" said Ginny. "Why would it be _good_ that Hermione has a date?"

__

Yeah! I mentally exclaimed. _Why_?

"Could I speak with Hermione privately?" asked Ron.

"Who's stopping you?" asked Harry.

"Oh," said Ron. "Right. Hermione could you come with me out in the corridor for a minute?"

Still a bit shocked at the turn of events, I nodded, and followed him silently toward the portrait hole.

"Hermione," said Ron once they were in the corridor, "I've been trying to talk to you ever since Dumbledore said there'd be another Yule Ball-"

"It's not a Yule Ball," I corrected automatically. "It's a _Christmas_ Ball. The _Yule_ Ball is only celebrated during the Triwizard Tournament."

"Whatever," he said, before continuing. "Ever since he said there'd be another _ball, _I've been trying to talk to you. I would've yesterday, but then that git _Malfoy_ showed up and... I don't really know what happened then."

I looked down at my shoes guiltily as he spat the word _Malfoy_. 

"The thing is..." he said, an odd look on his face, as if trying to figure something out that was _far _beyond his ability. "Two years ago, you told me to ask you before someone else does. And I would have...last year. But now," he stopped a moment, thinking. "Something changed, last year. I...I _fancied _you before...but then...I just...didn't."

His ears were burning, and I realised how uncomfortable his situation was. 

"The past couple days, I've been trying to tell you that I...didn't want to go with you. I want to go with...well, never mind that, but I just _don't _want to go with you. Just then, when I heard you already had a date...I just, felt so _relieved_. Who would've thought?"

"Ron," I said, "why didn't you just tell me?"

"I tried to!" he said breathlessly. "But you run _bloody fast_! You didn't use to." He laughed. "It's as if you were _trying _to avoid me." 

He, he. Imagine that.

"I would _never_!" I lied. Luckily, he didn't seem too keen on detecting my falsehoods. I never was a very good liar, and I was pretty sure it I wasn't all that believable. 

"So?" asked a voice from above us. "Who're you going with?"

We both whirled around, and were face to frame with the Fat Lady. She had been listening to our conversation and, if I didn't know better, I'd _swear _she was taking _notes_!

"Can't you block your ears, or something!" Ron hollered. 

"Sorry!" she said. "Nothing to block them with!"

She looked around her portrait, as if searching for earplugs. "See? Nothing!"

"How 'bout your bloody fingers!"

"Let's just go," I said, and I told her the password. She reluctantly opened.

"I'll find out one way or another!" she said as the frame closed. "You'll see!"

We were not expecting to see Ginny dashing back to her seat as we came in, nor an _innocent _Harry, whistling to himself.

"So," asked Ginny as we came back to where they were sitting, "what'd you two talk about?" 

"As if you don't know," scoffed Ron. 

Ginny gasped dramatically. 

"Ron! My own brother! Accuse me of _spying?!_" she said disbelievingly. "I cannot _believe_ it!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Ron. "You're _so_ convincing."

"So?" she asked. 

"So, _what_?" I said.

"You said you had a date! With who?"

"Yeah, Hermione," said Harry. "Who?"

He seemed noticeably more comfortable, and less embarrassed. The only reason for that, I thought, must be...

"Who are _you _going with Harry?" I countered. "And you, Ginny?"

"You'll find out at the ball!" said Ginny, and, head held high, she marched off to her dormitory. Clearly, she didn't think we _deserved _to know, if we wouldn't tell her who we were going with.

"Yeah!" said Harry, following Ginny's lead. At the last moment, he even remembered to turn, and go up to _his_ dorm. If he hadn't, he'd have been on the floor, with dozens off girls laughing at him.

"They are so _obvious!_" I said, once both Harry and Ginny were out of earshot.

"Yeah," said Ron softly.

"So," I said. "We'll find out at the ball, who you're going with?"

"Yep," he said. "And the same for you."

"Right," I said. "Goodnight."

"G'night."

And with that, I headed to bed.

I couldn't help thinking what a surprise he was in for, when I turned up with Draco.

Little did I know, I'd be in for quite a surprise myself.

* * *

"Luna!" I exclaimed, seeing the blond girl coming down the marble stairs, and into the entrance hall.

It was Christmas, the night of the ball and I hadn't seen her in quite a while. In fact, not since the day the ball was announced.

"Yes?" she said, as she neared me.

"Who are you go-"

I stopped short then, seeing Draco come up from the door that lead to the dungeons. I had expected him to be wearing green, or black. With maybe some silver. But no, I shouldn't of thought that. I should have known that he wouldn't wear Slytherin colours. The only reason he was my date was because he was defying his family, right?

He was wearing scarlet dress robes. I laughed at the thought that they were almost maroon. 

I walked over to him, completely ignoring Luna, who had just walked off toward Ron as if I hadn't said a thing. Draco's eyes noticeably softened when he saw me. 

"Y-you look nice," I said, blushing.

"You too."

* * *

And that was how it all began. That was how Draco and I changed, from enemies, to friends, to more. And to think, I owe it all to Luna.

Oh, I didn't tell you? Ron, unbeknownst to anyone, even himself, had fallen for her that year, and had that not happened, he wouldn't have been trying to talk to me. We wouldn't have run into Draco. I never would've seen the letter. Everything would have been different. 

Ron and Luna eventually _did _have children, with red hair, huge eyes, and an obsession with the letter 'q'. Imagine the deja-vu I had when I saw them chattering about 'cwumple-howrned snowkacks.'

Harry and Ginny, of course _did_ go to the ball together. And for the remainder of Ginny's time at Hogwarts, he never missed a Hogsmeade weekend. Never. Not once. In fact, they seemed to like the village so much, that they bought a house there after she graduated, and have lived there ever since.

You're probably thinking, _What's with the different tenses?_ And you're right. At the beginning, I wrote in past tense, then present, then past. There's a simple explanation really. The beginnings of the story, the first chapter, I wrote when they happened. In a diary. I recently found them, and decided to take the time to finish the tale. 

I decided the title, _Advising Girls About Fancying a Boy, and then _Not_ Fancying a Boy, but _He_ Fancies _You_..._ was a bit too long to fit on a cover. So, when I was listening to a CD, a week or two ago, I heard the lyric, _See if you're human after all. _It fit amazingly well, not just with the story, but on the cover as well. And there you have it.

And us? Draco and I? Well, I'm sorry to say it, but he was killed, in battle. By Lucius himself. I gladly returned the favour, but that didn't bring him back. Believe me when I say I wish it did. But he did what he wanted. He fought against the Dark Lord. Without him, Harry never would have had the chance to end it all. 

Since graduating, I've taken a position at Hogwarts. Potions. Professor Snape finally got the Defence job in seventh year, and actually broke the curse on the position. He's been teaching in Quirrel, Lockhart, Lupin, Moody, Umbridge, and Shacklebolt's classroom for nearly twelve years now, and he's still going strong. 

Dumbledore was also killed in battle, and Minerva is now Headmistress at Hogwarts. (It's still odd to call her 'Minerva'.) I hope to follow in her footsteps, (or pawprints) someday, but for now, I'm perfectly fine teaching in the Potions Dungeon.

After all, for seven years, I hardly ever saw that room without Draco in it. I can feel his spirit in the place. It's comforting.

And most definitely human.

**_

~ The End ~

_** __

Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, SORRY! 

I did not mean to take this long! This was supposed to be a Christmas story, for crying out loud!

I just...couldn't...write it.

If any of you liked the H/G and R/L of this, then I suggest you read the cause of my slowness, Living inside Yesterday._ It's novel-length, and more than half done. (And I update regularly)_

Once again, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, please review, sorry, and SORRY!

PS: Sorry!

PPS: Please review!


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